| Image: Canon |
Canon has developed a 410MP full-frame sensor, which it says is primarily designed for markets such as surveillance, medical and industrial applications.
Canon doesn’t usually disclose details of the sensors it plans to use in its cameras before they launch, which is another strong indication that it won’t be the basis of the next R-series models. Still, it gives further insight into where Canon’s sensor design and technology has got.
410MP The chip is a stacked CMOS design with some signal processing circuitry built into one of the layers of that stack. This design allows it to read all of its pixels at a rate of 3,280 megapixels per second. This is enough to deliver 24K ‘video’ at up to eight frames per second.
Alternatively, Canon says a monochrome version of the chip can bin the output of four neighboring pixels to deliver “100MP” video at up to 24 fps. These numbers show that the company is talking about full-sensor, ‘open-gate’ 12K footage with a full 3:2 sensor area. Given that this is its maximum output rate, it is reasonable to assume that it will not have a rolling shutter rate faster than 1/24 sec (ie: around 40ms), which would not be optimal as a basis for a cinema camera.
Theos frame rates suggest a sensor that would be well suited for machine-vision tasks that prioritize resolution over speed, such as examining detailed circuit boards during production, rather than on high-speed production lines. Where the Global Shutter’s ability to freeze movement can be more valuable.
The use of the 3:2, 36x24mm ‘full-frame’ format means that the sensor can be used with the vast range of lenses designed for that format, rather than having to specify something custom or very low-volume. For, by adopting a larger, a larger, by adopting a larger, medium-format size.
